I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly, but I don't think Holden was on the Confed Cup roster. I think Beasley got benched and that's when Bradley switched to the 4-4-2 with Altidore and Davies up top, Donovan, Clark (?), Bradley and Dempsey in the midfield. I believe it was Davies that moved into the starting line-up.

Beasley was out of form. If he gets back in form, he can contribute. He's scored goals in the Champions League, Europa League, Confederations Cup...and as horrible as he was in 2006, he set up the only goal against Ghana and if McBride gets out of the way, the winner against Italy.

The US isn't good enough to leave an in-form Beasley at home. Especially without Davies.

I think Beasley lost his Team USA jersey around the 2:15 mark on this clip:

If it were a one time thing I could see writing it off as a mistake or careless error. In Beasley's case he has repeatedly given the ball away in high profile matches. I think he was substituted soon after that goal and has not worn the jersey since then if I remember correctly. Beasley also gave the ball away very cheaply which led to the first Brazilian goal, but this Youtube clip kindly omitted that glaring gaffe from Beasley's video CV.

I think he was substituted soon after that goal and has not worn the jersey since then if I remember correctly.

He had played in 3 league matches in 2009 before the Confed Cup. You could very well argue (and I did) that he had no business being on the Confed Cup roster. But if he's playing for Rangers, he'll be on the squad. We'll agree to disagree, but the US doesn't have enough talent to leave him off the roster, it's just the way it is.

MLS lockout in a WC year? I'm not sure what to make of that but it can't be good for Team USA. MLS franchise valuations seem to be on the rise, so somebody must be making $$$ off this league or at least they see a profitable endgame.

By the time the European club season winds down WC camps should be starting and by the time the WC ends European club camps should be starting. I don't think most soccer fans in the US would notice if MLS didn't play at all next season.

"I have black, gypsy and Japanese friends, including one whose job is to determine the sex of poultry" - June 2006 - Spain boss Luis Aragones attempts to clear himself of the racism tag two years after his comments on Thierry Henry.

Ronaldo came out today and claimed the OT crowd intimidated United's rivals and he asked the Madrid mob to step up their game. It should be interesting to see how that goes down with the fickle Madrid mob.

Adu was sent back to Benfica from some lower table Portuguese club. His European vacation continues to be an unmitigated disaster.

im just beginning to get into following international soccer, and i have a question that shows my ignorance:

i just read an article about who was invited to the US national team training camp next month, and Landon Donovan wasn't on the list. Is he really not one of the better players? I ask because he is one of the few MLS names that I thought somewhat transcended the league.

pittsoccer33 wrote:im just beginning to get into following international soccer, and i have a question that shows my ignorance:

i just read an article about who was invited to the US national team training camp next month, and Landon Donovan wasn't on the list. Is he really not one of the better players? I ask because he is one of the few MLS names that I thought somewhat transcended the league.

He'll be at the World Cup unquestionably. Donovan and the other currently European-based players are in the midst of the league seasons for the respective countries they play in. The MLS season is over, so that camp is really for the MLS players. Someone correct me if I am mistaken.

pittsoccer33 wrote:im just beginning to get into following international soccer, and i have a question that shows my ignorance:

i just read an article about who was invited to the US national team training camp next month, and Landon Donovan wasn't on the list. Is he really not one of the better players? I ask because he is one of the few MLS names that I thought somewhat transcended the league.

He'll be at the World Cup unquestionably. Donovan and the other currently European-based players are in the midst of the league seasons for the respective countries they play in. The MLS season is over, so that camp is really for the MLS players. Someone correct me if I am mistaken.

Correct, the camp is mostly for MLS players and some players who play in Scandanavia who don't start their season again until March. The US can't take players away from their clubs in season without an international fixture date. There are really only 6-7 players in this camp who have a shot at making the WC roster.

Donovan is an MLS player but is starting a loan at Everton in England tomorrow, so he's not available.

Leeds played very well. Becchio-Beckford up top played very well and the center-mids really controlled the ball well. They certainly weren't in awe of ManU or Old Trafford.

Leeds isn't your typical League 1 club, they're a very large club with money behind them. It's certainly a huge upset, though.

Personally, and like most every person not from Leeds, I hate Leeds. Ken Bates involvement has only increased how distasteful I find them. Milan and Leeds have their own history ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFt3yCB8Q3s ), but I was just poking Draftnik a bit.

It doesn't always come up Roses for United supporters. It was a gutting loss. I still feel like having my stomach extracted thinking about it as I type. I don't think any United supporter logically expects the Quadruple to happen, but it is still rotten when United are out of a competition, especially one as prestigious as the FA Cup. I actually prefer it to the Euro Cup, but I don't think SAF feels the same.

That said, it was an excellent display why the English football game is the best in the world. The Leeds supporters created an outstanding atmosphere at OT. Their players clearly relished the occasion and played at a high level for 90 minutes. The game had some crunching challenges. United tried to pour it on at the end but didn't really have a classic storming of the Leeds goal.

I'm not sure what to make of it. Some United players like Obertan were exposed as not having the bottle to go into 50/50 challenges with Leeds players that clearly wanted it more. SAF is trying to blood several youngsters into the lineup but it is tough to do that at United because they are supposed to win every match and competition. United are obviously very reliant on Rooney and he's been quite profligate in front of goal in recent weeks. As good a buy as Valencia has been, Ronaldo would have cut in towards goal when Valencia stayed wide to cross and inevitably Ronaldo's hunger for goals would have created a United goal in some way to force the replay. Ronaldo papered over some of the obvious shortcomings the past few seasons. United have been poor in central midfield for a while now but it was shocking for Leeds to come into OT and boss proceedings in the middle of the park. I think United need to repurchase Robbie Savage so he can kick the tar out of the young players in training to toughen them up. I've always thought Rooney could be the worlds best box-to-box midfielder, but England would be apoplectic if SAF moved him in a WC year.

The key will be how United responds Wednesday. As distasteful as it was to lose to Leeds and see Beckford strut around OT as if he is something big, they won't win the FA Cup. Citeh on the other hand are living for the League Cup as their very legitimate chance for Silverware. A proper response at wastelands that tells their 3rd manager, 2nd owner, and dozen expensive mercenary imports that that they are still nothing and never will be anything no matter how much money they spend and Leeds will be forgotten.

I'll have to keep a closer eye on Milan results.

Have they been eliminated from the Copa Italia or whatever it is called? Do they have 2 domestic Cups like England?

Wenger has been saying some crazy stuff for a while now but he claims the FA Cup defeat will somehow benefit United in the Euro Cup. I'm not sure what to make of it because United should have a big enough squad to legitimately compete in all competitions, but if United beat Milan I'm sure Wenger will be asked if that was evidence of his claim and if he affirms that I'll make sure to bring it to your attention. You may end up ruing Leeds day of glory.

Haha, good post. The roses reference in the opening line was a particularly nice touch. I didnt see the match aside from a highlights package, so what I know of it is based on the match reports and your thoughts above.

Personally, and while I know that the FA Cup is the only national cup competition that carries any real weight in the major domestic leagues (I guess you could put the Copa del Rey in there, but I'd say it is a distant second to the FA Cup) especially since the Cup Winners Cup was terminated, from a neutral standpoint, I think United are better off having lost. I know the squads at major clubs like United are supposed to be big enough to win each and every competition, but I just find the national cups to be little more than a nuisance and only detract from the real goals -- the league and CL titles. In dees sense, errrr, I agwee wif, errr, zee Fwenchman.

This attitude, shared by pretty much all Italians, is what makes the Coppa Italia such a dismal event until the final (Italy only has a single national cup - thank God ). Milan enter in the Round of 16, and we play Novara (equivalent of a League One club) next week. They'll play maybe 2 or 3 regulars, if that. I could not be less interested.

Before the CL draw, I thought that Milan would not have the best of chances against United if we drew them. I haven't particularly seen anything that would indicate otherwise, even with the Leeds loss. I hope I am wrong, of course.